amen

When you've had just about all the bad news you can handle, it's time to do a Goodle news search.

a little light reading

A Confederacy of Dunces:
"I'm fat and think, no, I know I'm better than everyone else."

The Bible:
"Good opening chapter. Main character arrives halfway through, but gets killed off early. Some decent (if dated) commandments. Cracking ending. Slighty too open to interpretation."

Summarize a novel in 25 words

360 degree view from top of Everest

Impressive. This site features lots of explorable 360 degree views of foreign locales. Panoramic photography par excellence.

laughing is thinking

Interesting site here with a list of cartoons on rather heady topics like epistemology, logic, and aesthetics. Will provide plenty of amusement ... along with hours of introspection.

"Our Sun will become a diamond that truly is forever"

Scientists discover the galaxy's largest diamond:
"The newly discovered cosmic diamond is a chunk of crystallized carbon 50 light-years from the Earth in the constellation Centaurus. (A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, or about 6 trillion miles.) It is 2,500 miles across and weighs 5 million trillion trillion pounds, which translates to approximately 10 billion trillion trillion carats, or a one followed by 34 zeros."

another taboo topic

I really don't care to open up a can of political worms here, but I've been thinking about Nader today. Specifically, his claim that both parties are really alike. Are they? I mean, it sounds like a reasonable criticism, but I fail to see how his entering the race at this point -- which will result in a disruption of the democratic vote in favor of the GOP -- addresses his concern. Every political candidate is tied to special interests, whether they be multi-billion dollar corporations or grassroots consumer rights groups. The nature of being a political candidate involves an awareness of the concerns, realities and functions these "special interests" represent. I found an interesting rant on this topic here:

"The Nader Illusion is that both major parties are alike. He claims the Demos and the GOP are just the same, both beholden to special interests to such a degree that they're essentially paralyzed, no point in choosing one over the other. This is mostly hogwash. Yes they're beholden to special interests, but there are limits on that factor, and in fact there is a very distinct policy difference between the two parties. It *matters* which one you choose. There's not a chance that Gore would have supported --or that Kerry will support --a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. Bush will try to push one through and with a Republican congress he may well succeed. Gore or Kerry--never happen. And this is a watershed issue, like so many that distinguish GOP and Dems. Such an amendment erodes the distinction between church and state, sets a bad precedent, and of course puts a Constitutional imprimatur on discrimination against a class of people, gays.

Bush has been a one-man environmental disaster, weakening the clean air and water acts, allowing mercury and arsenic pollution to go on. Gore would NOT have done this. The air will be dirtier because Bush was elected.

Gore would have encouraged an increase in the minimum wage; Bush is against it. People will be paid less because Bush was elected."

I wonder if this is the case. I also wonder how American voters would handle the sort of ballot plurality Nader envisions. Do many other countries function under several competing parties, or do they eventually fall into two (or three) general groups, loosely organized according to the liberal/conservative, left/right wing paradigm?

thinking is fun! fun! fun!

Are you tired of boring intellectual exercises determining the nature of God and reality? Does investigating the consequences of morality and ethics put you to sleep? Well drowse no more, dear lovers of wisdom, for now we have philosophy games. See if your beliefs about religion make it across the intellectual battleground at Battleground God. Or try your hand at creating a Morality Play. And the ultimate party pleaser: Shakespeare vs. Brittney Spears: What is Art? Are you ready to rumble? Is it in you? Who's ya daddy, eschatologically speaking?

Clue #17 that we should revert to economy based on bartering beads and shells

Bank ATMs Being Converted to Steal IDs of Bank Customers

The Onion A.V. Club has a good interview with Arthur C. Clarke here.

Incredible: "Researchers at the University of Calgary have found that nerve cells grown on a microchip can learn and memorize information which can be communicated to the brain."

a different drummer

Last night Priscilla and I were talking about the function of the SA Node, a tiny modulator in our hearts that keeps them pumping rhythmically, and all day I've been wondering about rhythm, how integral its presence is. As the only instrument which will allow me any shred of musical ability is the drum, I've always enjoyed the idea of rhythm, how it is present in the music of virtually every culture on earth. It goes beyond music, though. Rhythm to me is the essence of pattern, which is the essence of organization, the end of chaos. And organization means complexity and intelligence. Rhythm is purpose.

After all, what are these letters you are reading but a series of ones and zeros, patterns of presence (1) and absence (0)? Isn't that what rhythm is? Beat (1) and interval (0). I recently read Contact by Carl Sagan, and found it interesting that the superintelligent alien culture in the book had discovered that the secrets of the universe lay within the infinite numbers of pi, in the patterns of numbers embedded within the equation. The rhythms of the code. Science fiction may not provide the best example, however, so I checked out Mickey Hart's web site to see what he had to say about the idea. Here's an excerpt from his 1999 testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging:

Everything that exists in time has a rhythm and a pattern. Our bodies are multi-dimensional rhythm machines with everything pulsing in synchrony, from the digesting activity of our intestines to the firing of neurons in the brain. Within the body the main beat is laid down by the cardiovascular system, the heart and the lungs. The heart beats between sixty and eighty times per minute and the lungs fill and empty at about a quarter of that speed, all of which occurs at an unconscious level. As we age, however, these rhythms can fall out of synch. And then, suddenly, there is no more important or crucial issue than regaining that lost rhythm.

What is true for our own bodies is true almost everywhere we look. We are embedded within a rhythmical universe. Everywhere we see rhythm, patterns moving through time. It is there in the cycles of the seasons, in the migration of the birds and animals, in the fruiting and withering of plants, and in the birth, maturation and death of ourselves. Rhythm is at the very center of our lives. By acknowledging this fact and acting on it, our potential for preventing illness and maintaining mental, physical and spiritual well-being is far greater.

As a species, we love to play with rhythm. We deal with it every second of our lives, right to the end. When the rhythms stop, so do we. And this is where music becomes important. According to the late ethnomusicologist John Blacking, music is a mirror that reflects a culture's deepest social and biological rhythms. It is an externalization of the pulses that remain hidden beneath the busy-ness of daily life. Blacking believed that a large part of music's power and pleasure comes from it's ability to reconnect us with the deeper rhythms that we are not conscious of. And it is the connection with these rhythms that gives music the power to heal.

Not too flaky, considering it's coming from the former drummer of The Grateful Dead. There's a lot more here to think about, too. Cycles, revolutions, habits, all of these functions and behaviors are patterns, rhythms played through the music of life. The drum circle starts at my house at 7:00. No patchouli or birkenstocks allowed. Meanwhile, here's some tasty bits.

Justice ... limps along, but it gets there all the same

--Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Funny, I seem to feel that way a lot these days.

on a serious note

You know all those firefighters' stories you heard after 9-11? Like the one about the woman who was walking so slow that firemen had to help her down the stairs of the second WTC building, and as a result all their lives were saved? Those stories can be found here. I really didn't want to to read these, but I did. You should too.

further ruminations on the Romeros, courtesy of Bob Dylan

Lay down your weary tune, lay down,
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.

Struck by the sounds before the sun,
I knew the night had gone.
The morning breeze like a bugle blew
Against the drums of dawn.
Lay down your weary tune, lay down,
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.

The ocean wild like an organ played,
The seaweed's wove its strands.
The crashin' waves like cymbals clashed
Against the rocks and sands.
Lay down your weary tune, lay down,
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.

I stood unwound beneath the skies
And clouds unbound by laws.
The cryin' rain like a trumpet sang
And asked for no applause.
Lay down your weary tune, lay down,
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.

The last of leaves fell from the trees
And clung to a new love's breast.
The branches bare like a banjo played
To the winds that listened best.

I gazed down in the river's mirror
And watched its winding strum.
The water smooth ran like a hymn
And like a harp did hum.
Lay down your weary tune, lay down,
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.

I can't imagine why one might need to do this, but what does your phone number spell? Mine's "meg-o-yam". Whee.

music, yes

The other day, just as Torts class was beginning, I was talking with this fellow Adam who plays banjo and he asked me, "So what's your favorite instrument?" I though about it for a bit and guessed it would have to be the guitar, depending on who is playing it (if it is my roommate Mark in college, I would say the instrument should be permanently banned from society). However, there is now no need to worry about who should play the guitar at any given moment, for it should always be The Romeros.
Last night my new friend Priscilla and I attended one of the more sublime musical experiences I've witnessed. We drove up to to the Toledo Museum of Art, an impressive sprawling neoclassical complex just off highway 75 and watched this Spanish quartet do their thing at the Peristyle, a sort of Roman coliseum-style theater. Very impressive. As we walked in the atmosphere was hushed and alert, the soft, powerful music filling the room. Immediately after sitting down I realized we were in the presence of absoluty vituosity. Rich, complex melodies, evoking nights in Spanish cathedrals or street festivals in Barcelona swept over us. The layers of harmony rolled and swirled through each other, and it was beautiful.
What's cool about this quartet is that they are actually are "The Romeros." The grandfather, Celedonio, started playing many years ago and taught his two sons to play, who in turn taught their sons to play (you can get the chronology here). Watching their styles, the generational differences become apparent. The older fellows played softer, slower tunes, while the kids jammed it out, thumping rhythms on their guitars as they played, kicking it up a notch. The finale was a flamenco "improvisation" that had us nodding our heads and laughing as the sons showed off by playing with one hand, Jimi Hendrix-style. People were yelling "Bravo!" from the audience, and they were right.
As we walked out and were trying to describe how intense the music was I was reminded of the line attributed to Elvis Costello, who said, "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture." And I think someone else once described architecture as "frozen music." So rather than blather on vaguely about why each of you should catch these guys when they come to town, perhaps the best way to describe the unique experience of a Romeros concert is to humbly offer the following image.
Enjoy.

either this is crazy or someone's really good at photoshop

rather humorous

In passing is a funny blog relating random bits of conversation heard by this guy In Berkeley, CA. My favorite:

"Because anything that is not a positive response to the question, 'Do you want eggs?' could safely be considered a negative response."
--A guy at Jupiter

strike a pose

Can you copyright a pose? Interesting story here about a yogi who is calling his particular brand of yoga private property. I think I've decided to get a patent on my hairdo as it appeared this morning when I woke up.

This I gotta see.

Get ye bags. Get ye possibles.

This just in from the official Cormac McCarthy Society Web site:
"Cormac McCarthy is currently at work on a new novel, due Winter 2003 from Alfred A Knopf. No further details about this work in progress can be confirmed."

You may now put the Harry Potter aside and commence waiting. Periodic visits to the bookstore are permitted.

image

Stunning photos of urban australia here.